A Deadly Passion
by redhead evans
Summary: The final battle is here and it brings together two unlikely people from two different backgrounds. TRMM with a hint of ADMM Oneshot!


The two figures stood and stared at each other, seemingly ignoring the battle raging all around them. One of them stood proudly, like a King on a throne, while the other faced him with grim determination and fearful pride shining from every line of her body. They each had wands in their hands, one clutched in long and bony, nearly skeletal, fingers while the other was made of a rich mahogany, clutched by long and feminine fingers with manicured nails, the bright gold of her ring standing out against her pale skin and the dark wood. His red eyes bored into her green ones, staring back at him through the haze that was her hair, free of its original braid to whip around her in the fierce wind that enveloped the battlefield.

"Come to finish me off Minerva?" he said mockingly despite the fact that he was now finding it hard to swallow.

"Do you doubt my abilities Tom?" she countered easily, standing stock-still.

"Are you here for your revenge on the murderer of your husband?" he asked, choosing to ignore her question.

"I already have," she said coolly. "Snape," she spat with venom, "is dead by my hand. I believe he was the first to fall," she offered casually, looking at her nails with an air of indifference.

"He will have a place in history for his contribution to my cause," he said. "It was after all he who got rid of the meddlesome old fool for me," he said softly, watching her eyes blaze with fury. "He triumphed where others failed and he will be remembered for it. But truly Minerva," he said. "Are you here for revenge?"

She tossed her head to clear her vision; her hair whipped around once before settling to be tormented by the wind.

"On who?" she said. "On you?" She allowed herself a small laugh. "I doubt that I could Tom," she said bluntly, still smiling. "I don't know if I want to. You've given me great things before Tom, just as much as you've destroyed."

He watched her eyes adopt a haunted look. "I made you," he said, breaking the tension that had crackled in the air.

"Yes," she breathed. "You did make me."

"You could have been great Minerva," he said, sincere despite the mocking words. "You always were a brilliant witch and a better dueler. We were friends Min," he watched her carefully, knowing that the nickname would spark some fire in her dull eyes. It didn't. "Do you truly despise me so?"

She took her time in answering. "I could never hate you Tom," she said finally. "I can only hate what you've become. This Lord Voldemort fellow has taken over the man that I love but I can still see Tom peeking through. It's what Albus always believed," she said with a short, barking laugh. The mirth didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Why did you marry him Min?" Tom asked quietly. "Why did you leave me for him?"

"I never once thought that I would look into your eyes and see a stranger Tom," Minerva said. "And then one day I did. I still love you Tom, the Tom that's trapped inside somewhere, but you aren't him, weren't him. I didn't love that man so I left."

Her eyes got a faraway look to them as she remembered days spent with him.

"What is it?" he asked quietly.

She knew he wanted to know which memory she had dredged up.

"We were under the willow by the lake," she said distantly. "It was a warm spring day, we had just finished final exams but the grounds were practically empty. Everyone was off celebrating in the common rooms except us. We had been talking, laughing, sitting close and enjoying the company the other provided. You called me brilliant, I blushed and you leaned in closer to whisper in my ear, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear as you whispered loving nothings to me. I knew of your plans for after school, you were assuring me that I would be your queen, first in your heart and a truly formidable enemy. Much like you were a moment ago, telling me of my greatness, my brilliance. I kissed you, you kissed back. We sat there for a while, kissing, before walking back hand-in-hand to Gryffindor Tower. We parted with a tender kiss and you left. I never saw Tom again."

He sighed, remembering the day as Minerva shivered as phantom breath touched her neck, a sad reminder of long ago.

She looked up at him and vaguely noticed that he had gotten closer. Their eyes met; for a moment he was the man that she loved again.

"Albus wasn't who I wanted Tom," she breathed. He was inches away from her now. "I've always wanted you."

He leaned down and kissed her, tenderly and passionately, a true farewell kiss. She kissed back after only a moments hesitation, eyes fluttering closed as she forgot about the war that surrounded them. He pulled back and her eyes fluttered open languidly with a small sigh.

"I love you Minerva," he said as he started to walk away.

"I love you Tom," she called out to him. He turned, but Tom had gone from his eyes and only Voldemort remained.

She tightened her grip on her wand, all but forgotten in her hand. They stared at each other for a moment more before starting to duel. It resembled a dance, something of passion and action, more than it did a deadly fight as each moved gracefully and fluidly to avoid the curses that sped through the air towards them. Their eyes were locked on each other's, his glaring red ones on her smoldering green, as he cast the curse. She didn't see it as she sidestepped a curse right into his spell. With a flash of green light she was dead, her body still falling through the air to hit the ground with a sickening thud.

He couldn't afford to put his wand away but he wanted to as he walked the short distance to where she lay, lifeless green eyes staring blankly up at him. He knelt, ignoring the curses that were flying above his head as the battle moved closer to him, and moved a stray lock of hair from where it had settled over her face. Once again the sweet nothings spilled from his lips, a sad echo of what had once been, as the memory plagued him as it had her.

"Truly brilliant," he told her. "More like your Greek counterpart; The Goddess of Wisdom and the Goddess of War. The world could have used more of you Minerva," he whispered sadly.

With a final tender kiss he stood, squaring his shoulders and striding through the battle to face his destiny without another look back.


End file.
